Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Blistering performances.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This is a true old soviet movie from the late 70s and watching it, I'm happy to be born in the West: I'm sure there was good people, happy feelings and true joy over-there but it doesn't skip the fact the society was bleak, gloom and conservative: in a way, the movie is like official propaganda and straight to party line as the story depicted here is deeply moral: when the young woman changes her identity while living temporarily in this luscious apartment, she ends up a single mother. Years later, as she is hard working, the small worker has become the top director! As an usual Russian movie, we have a lot of meals, music and country trips. The actor are really convincing, the songs have this Slavic sad beauty and most of all, it was finally a time with care, values and good fashion: no harassing mobile phones, no jeans, no sneakers or sportswear, no tattoos, no t-shirt, well another world as much faraway as close….

The given film, one of the most favourite films at my mum. It is a lot of years, I didn't give it many value, yet haven't learned that such Oscar and for what give it. The film describes destiny of the woman at which all life has gone head over heels, I advise to watch this film to people who had similar turning-points in life. Vladimir Menshov's work has shaken me, after all many American people think that Russia represents one drunks, bears and caps with ear-flaps. Why Russia became object of similar sneers? Remember Norway, Germany, after all they had the same in those of year, a vivid example to that a film "Life of others" (2005). I consider the given film good not only because of respect for the great country, Russia, but also because of ingenious game of actors and an unforgettable history of the unfortunate women living after Lenin revolution.

This is one of the most captivating love stories I've ever seen on film. It starts with a young woman (Katya, played by Vera Alentova) reporting to her Worker's Dormitory friends that she has flunked by two points the exam to get into university. It ends with the most incredible sweetness of life.It is like a French film done by a Russian company (which is what it is). The Moscow we see that does not believe in tears does believe in love, and it is not a Moscow of politics, although some people do call one another "comrade." This is a woman's point of view film (a "chick flick") that transcends any genre cage. It begins slowly, almost painfully dull in a way that will remind the viewer of all the clichés about Russia, the unstylish dress, the worker's paradise that isn't, the sharp contrast between Moscow and the peasants who live outside the city. Katya works in a factory. She works at a drill press. She is obviously underemployed. Lyudmila (Irina Muravyova) works in a bakery. She is probably gainfully employed for the time and place. They are friends, twentysomethings who are on the make for a man, but not a man from the sticks. They pretend to be university post docs or something close to that and they impress some people as they house-sit a beautiful Moscow apartment.This is how their adult life begins in a sense. Lyudmila falls in love with an athlete; Katya becomes infatuated with a television cameraman. One thing leads to another and before we know it they are forty. Neither relationship worked out. The athlete becomes an alcoholic, the cameraman, in the sway of his mother, believes that Katya is beneath him (once he finds out that she works in a factory). How wrong he is, of course.But no more of the plot. I won't spoil it. The plot is important. The characterizations are important. The story is like a Russian novel in that it spans lots of time, but once you are engaged you will find that the two and a half hours fly by and you will, perhaps like me, say at the end "What a great movie!" My hat is off to director Vladimir Menshov and to Valentin Chernykh who wrote the script and to the cast. I've mentioned Vera Alentova and Irina Muravyova, but Aleksey Batlov who played Gosha was also excellent. I don't want to say anymore. Just watch the film. It is one of the best I've ever seen.(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

Utterly normal drama, in the sense that every episode has two or three functions at the same time(developing the story, depicting the social background,making the main characters understandable and sympathetic to the viewer,pushing the dramatic situation forward).There is no useless episode or detail. The shooting and editing is complete, not waisting time to be too artistic(because it is not a Art-House film). This is a professional cinema work with normally composed drama,but not only so.The story begins in 1958, soon after the short "thaw"(ottepeli) had come to Soviet society, when Soviet cinema was full of hope and energy. So it is natural that young girls go to the theater with the board announcing "Festival of French films" and they dream of better life,to marry "celebrity", to become rich. It was so that moment.Screenwriter and director are utterly right to jump 20 years and then to start telling about their own time(film was made in late 70s). Dreams of youth were betrayed by the reality, but not so cruelly for ordinary people(different form intelligentsia),as Western right conservatives may have imagined. In Soviet Union lived such ordinary people, as well as intelligentsia under political pressure and many other social types(it happened and happens in USA, Japan and any other countries).We don't know how Katya suffered from personal complex and from possible injustice, but such things will make no sense to drama. And professionals doesn't add meaningless details to their works.